


when the lights go out (run away with me)

by GenericHero



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cyberpunk, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Temporary Amnesia, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 13:31:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18032636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenericHero/pseuds/GenericHero
Summary: Lance wasn’t sure how he had expected to meet his soulmate. All he was sure of was that it wasn’t supposed to happen like this.





	when the lights go out (run away with me)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my friend Bailey as part of a Valentine's day exchange!! I hope you like it and that you're having a wonderful day <3
> 
> Tysm [Moira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterfells/pseuds/bleulily) for beta-ing this for me and for setting up the exchange, you're amazing!!
> 
> Title from "run away with me" by Carly Rae Jepson

Lance wasn’t sure how he had expected to meet his soulmate. All he was sure of was that it wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

  
  
  


It was supposed to be a simple mission— break in to Galra Tech, steal some intel, and be gone before they even knew what had happened.

Then again, very few things in Lance’s life had turned out to be simple.

  
  
  


“You sure you’re okay, man?” Hunk asked for what felt like the fifteenth time while he pulled his goggles over his eyes. “You’re more fidgety than usual.”

Lance ran his hand through his hair as he crouched down at the edge of the rooftop. The neon-lit city of Naxzela stretched out hundreds of feet above and beneath him, composed of towering skyscrapers connected by gravity defying railways and skywalks. Hundreds of brightly lit hovercars wove in between the structures, flowing around them like luminescent water. A thin fog had settled in, refracting the blue and violet lights of the city.

“I’m fine,” Lance lied. “Just nervous.” The second part wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either. From the moment he had set foot on the rooftop, he had started to feel a strange tingling beneath his skin, and a well of anxiousness and anticipation that had nothing to do with the current mission had started to boil within his chest.

Something didn’t feel right, but it didn’t exactly feel  _ wrong _ either.

“Man, same here,” Hunk said, kneeling down beside him. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this kind of thing.”

Lance patted Hunk’s shoulder, and Hunk gave him a weak smile. A brightly colored hovercar sped past the rooftop, sending a wave of wind over them that ruffled their hair and clothes. Lance pulled his goggles down over his eyes and took a few steps away from the edge of the roof.

“Pidge, how are we doing?” he asked.

“Just a sec…” Pidge’s voice said over the com link, distorted by static. “Alright, their security system should be down for about fifteen minutes. You know the drill— this place is a dark zone, so once you get in, I won’t be able to get you out until you leave the perimeter.”

“Roger that.” Lance pulled on the straps of his jetpack to make sure it was secure, then cast a glance at Hunk. “You ready?”

“No,” Hunk admitted, some of the color draining from his face as he looked over the edge of the rooftop.

“You got this, man,” Lance said. “Just like we practiced.”

“Yeah, well, there wasn’t a seventy story drop beneath us when we practiced,” Hunk pointed out bitterly.

“Fourteen and a half minutes, guys,” Pidge’s voice cut in.

“I’ll go first,” Lance said, exchanging a look with Hunk. Hunk gave him a curt nod, his brows drawing together in determination.

“Right behind you.”

“Alright.” Lance tracked the motions of the hovercars passing by the rooftop, his gaze catching on a relatively slow-moving orange car approaching from the right. “Here goes nothing.” He took a step back, drawing in a heavy breath and counting the seconds off on his fingers. “Eight, seven, six…”

With five seconds left, Lance charged forward, the soles of his boots slamming against the dark concrete with every step. When he came to the corner of the roof, he felt a brief flicker of panic flare up in his chest, but he knew it was too late to hesitate. He pushed off of the ground with everything he had, launching himself off of the rooftop.

For one terrifying second, his muscles seized up as he started to fall. The rush of wind and pounding of his heart became deafening, and the ground hundreds of feet beneath him suddenly seemed both very far away and much too close. He gritted his teeth and reached up, clutching the remote control on his wrist. Heat singed his back as his jetpack propelled him upward, and he let out a high pitched shriek that he would later vehemently deny making as he was vaulted towards the orange hovercar. He landed in an ungraceful heap on the hood of the car, and quickly threw his hands out to keep himself from sliding off of it.

Lance sat up in a daze, wind whipping at his hair and clothes as the hovercar sped past impossibly large fluorescent billboards and skyscrapers doused with neon lighting. He offered an apologetic crooked grin to the  _ very _ surprised driver of the hovercar, then pulled himself up into a crouching position. He barely had time to gather his bearings before he caught sight of the violet-lit Galra Tech building up ahead.

“Looks like this is my stop,” Lance yelled over the roar of wind. He gave the driver a wink and a small salute, then leapt off the hood of the car as it sped past Galra Tech. His knees buckled beneath him as he landed, and he threw out his hands to keep from falling.

“Pidge, how are we doing on time?” he asked, straightening up and dusting his hands off. He glanced over as Hunk landed beside him.

“Twelve and a half minutes left,” Pidge responded.

“Roger that. You ready, Hunk?”

Hunk frowned, swaying slightly on his feet. “Uh, give me a minute. I’m maybe— definitely going to throw up.”

“Alright. I’m gonna go on ahead.” Lance pulled his goggles off, then unclipped his crescent shaped blue bayard from his belt. At his touch, the bayard transformed into a pair of blue and white laser pistols in a flash of light. He took a few steps towards the steep, towering spire at the center of the rooftop, tilting his head back as he took in the sight of it.

“Be careful,” Pidge said, an edge of worry cutting her voice. “You guys are on your own from here on out.”

At the base of the spire was a maintenance door, lit overhead by a flickering violet light. Lance tucked one of his pistols into the pocket of his dark blue overcoat as he came up to the door, then input the code Pidge had given him before on the panel to the side of it. He glanced over the side of the door as he slipped inside, making sure the hallway was clear, and pushed the door shut slowly, careful not to let it slam. He slowly let out the breath he’d been holding. The temperature in the dimly lit building was much colder than it had been outside, but Lance suddenly felt like he was running hot, and his fingers started to feel tingly as the anticipation in his chest mounted. It almost felt like something was calling to him, drawing him closer.

Lance shook his head to try to clear it. He couldn’t afford to be distracted now— not after everything they’d gone through to get this far. He pressed close to the wall as he came to a corner, and peeked over the side to make sure the next hallway was clear before he continued on. The building was eerily quiet, so quiet that Lance could hear the buzzing of the dull violet lights that lined the corridor.

“Hunk, status report,” Lance said, his voice barely more than a whisper. They’d agreed beforehand that splitting up would give them a better chance of completing the mission in case one of them was caught. Neither of them were really a fan of the idea, but they knew they had to take every chance they had.

“I’m inside, making my way to the vault now,” Hunk replied in an equally low voice.

Ahead of Lance, the hallway split off in two directions. He could feel the tug in his chest again, like an invisible presence was drawing him forward, calling to him. He hesitated only a moment before relenting, trusting the strange feeling to guide him.

In hindsight, he probably should have known better.

He had only taken a couple steps down the left hallway when the sound of voices echoed from one of the adjacent rooms. Lance froze, his breath catching in his throat.

“Do you feel that?” one of the voices asked.

“Feel what?” a deeper voice responded.

“Something’s… I don’t know.”

There was silence for a moment. Lance held his breath, keeping perfectly still.

“I’ll be right back,” the first voice said, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Lance’s heart hammered against his chest, and he backtracked as quickly as he could without making a sound. He retreated into the hallway he had entered from, pressing his back against the wall. The sound of footsteps drew closer. The tingling in Lance’s fingertips became nearly unbearable, and the palms of his hands started to burn.

A Galra security guard in a dark suit with glowing violet accents stopped at the entrance to the hallway, close enough that if he wanted to, Lance could reach out and touch him. Time seemed to slow, and the guard turned to face him, his dark eyes locking with Lance’s.

The burning sensation on Lance’s palms became searing hot for a heartbeat. His pistols slipped from his hands, transforming back into his bayard and clattering against the ground. He drew his hands up in front of him, pulling his sleeves away from his palms with trembling fingers.

_ There’s no way… _

On Lance’s right hand was the mark he had been born with, a thin blue line curved in the shape of a rolling wave.

_ This guy can’t be… _

And on Lance’s left hand was a new mark, a thin red line of jagged edges and sharp points. A flame.

A flicker of motion caught Lance’s eye, and he watched as the guard pulled his gloves off, tossing them aside carelessly and holding his palms up to the light.

On the guard’s palms were matching symbols. Lance looked up, meeting the guard’s eyes again, and saw his own bewilderment and fear reflected there.

_ My soulmate. _

In an instant, the guard’s expression turned cold, emotionless. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“I, um, look…” Lance forced a laugh, shoving his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. “I must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere, so if you wouldn’t mind giving me directions, I’ll gladly—”

“Wait,” the guard interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “I know you. I’ve seen your face on wanted posters. You’re a fugitive.”

Lance balked at the accusation, subtly kicking his bayard down the hall behind him and taking a couple steps back. “Fugitive is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of myself as a—”

“Intruder!” the guard growled, catching the attention of a robotic Galra sentry passing by.

“ _ Also _ not the word I would use.”

“Stay where you are,” the guard said, taking a step forward and pulling a curved ebony sword from the sheath on his back.

In a swift, fluid motion, Lance knelt down and snatched his bayard off of the ground. It transformed into a pistol in a flash of light, and Lance aimed it at the guard, who immediately froze.

“Look, this has been fun, and I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m kinda on a tight schedule,” Lance said, keeping his blaster raised as he backed down the hallway. “We’ll have to continue this another time.”

When he came to the end of the hallway, Lance adjusted his aim and pulled the trigger. The Galra guard’s eyes widened, but the shot missed him by a large margin, instead hitting the robotic sentry behind him. Lance turned the corner and broke into a run.

_ “Lance, what’s going on?” _ Pidge’s voice demanded.

“Well, the good news is, I found my soulmate,” Lance said, glancing back over his shoulder as the guard rounded the corner and charged after him. Damn it, this guy was  _ fast. _ “Bad news is, he’s kinda trying to kill me—”

The guard lunged at him with a yell. Lance turned on his heel to meet him, his bayard transforming into a blue and white broadsword as he held it up to block the guard’s attack. Metal clanged against metal, and Lance deflected the blow to the side. But the guard swung at him again, and again, striking like lightning, and Lance was having trouble keeping up.

_ “Lance, are you okay?” _ Hunk’s voice cut in.  _ “Do you need backup?” _

“I’m fine,” Lance lied, parrying a heavy blow aimed at his shoulder and staggering beneath the force of it. “Keep going.” He quickly reached up and disconnected his com link.

A shot rang out and Lance winced as the heat of a laser blast singed his ear. He glanced over his shoulder, his heart sinking into his stomach when he saw that his path had been blocked off by a legion of Galra sentries.

“A dozen against one?” Lance said weakly, trying to keep the growing panic building in his chest out of his voice. “Doesn’t really seem fair—”

He was cut off as the guard shoved him aside, pushing him against the wall. Another shot rang out and the guard hissed in pain, clutching his shoulder.

“Hold your fire!” the guard snapped, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he scowled at the sentries down the hall.

Lance stared at him for a moment, his mouth dropping open. “Uhhhh… did you just save my life?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the guard grumbled. He avoided Lance’s gaze, his mouth pulling into a pout.

“You  _ did!” _ Lance said, beaming. “Aw, I knew you weren’t all bad!”

“Bad?  _ You’re _ the one trespassing!”

“Details, details.”

A blaring alarm sounded and the hallway flooded with bright crimson light.  _ “We have an intruder in the main vault,” _ a muffled voice said, and the guard’s hand moved to the small radio clipped to the collar of his suit. The sentries at the end of the hall turned away and disappeared around the corner, now pursuing a new target. With the guard’s attention elsewhere, Lance slipped away and broke into a run down the hall after the sentries.

No footsteps followed him, and as Lance made it to the corner, he looked over his shoulder and found the guard watching him. The guard’s brows were drawn together in a confused, conflicted expression, but it was gone in the blink of an eye, replaced with the same emotionless mask he had worn before. He turned his back to Lance without another word.

Lance’s mouth pulled into a frown. He let out a sigh, re-connecting his com link as he rounded the corner. “Pidge, what’s going on? I thought we had another ten-ish minutes.”

_ “I did too,” _ Pidge said, her voice sounding strained.  _ “They must have caught on and reset the system.” _

“Great,” Lance muttered under his breath. “Hunk, you’re gonna have company.” His sword transformed back into a pair of pistols, and he aimed them at the group of robotic sentries making their way down the hall, shooting down the four closest to him.

_ “Roger that,” _ Hunk said, sounding out of breath.

Lance ducked into one of the rooms lining the hall as the rest of sentries turned around and opened fire. Bright laser blasts shot past the doorway, and Lance held a moment before leaning out just far enough to line a shot up. He took down one sentry, then another, but his resolve faltered as a second swarm of sentries flooded the hallway from around the corner. He retreated back behind the doorframe as another wave of laser fire lit up the corridor.

Metallic footsteps echoed down the hall as the sentries closed in on him. Lance pressed his back against the wall next to the door and drew in a deep breath, allowing the pistols in his hands to transform back into his bayard. He closed his eyes, clutching the handle of the bayard tightly and silently willing it to transform back into a broadsword.

But when he opened his eyes, he was still holding the bayard in its crescent shaped, harmless form. He let out the breath he’d been holding in a frustrated sigh. He’d only been able to activate the broadsword a couple times before in the spur of the moment, and he still wasn’t exactly sure how he’d managed to do it.

A sentry entered the room, the glowing magenta insignia on its chest a beacon in the darkness. It stopped in the doorway, surveying the room with its blaster raised. Lance muttered a quick “here goes nothing” under his breath, then swung his bayard in a sharp arc at the sentry’s head. But the bayard remained in its form and bounced off harmlessly. The sentry turned to face him, giving him the closest thing to an offended expression an emotionless robot could give. 

“Uh, surprise?” Lance offered. His bayard transformed back into a pistol and he aimed a shot at the sentry’s chest, then vaulted himself over a desk near the front of the room as the rest of the sentries entered. Something slammed against his back and he staggered forward, his bayard slipping from his grip as he threw his hands onto the ground to steady himself. He quickly snatched his bayard and leaned against the desk. 

“Come on, work with me here,” Lance growled, tapping his hand against the side of the bayard. He peeked out from behind the desk as the sentries swarmed the room, then jolted back as a laser blast narrowly missed his face. He gritted his teeth, willing the bayard to transform back into a pair of pistols. There was no way he was going down without a fight.

Lance aimed one of his pistols over the side of the desk, shooting down the nearest sentry. He was about to line up the next shot when a sound like thundering rain filled the room, and the remaining sentries collapsed like bowling pins. Lance shifted his gaze back to the door as a yellow-clad figure entered, stepping over the motionless sentries.

“Hunk!” Lance exclaimed, standing up and hoisting himself over the desk to meet his companion. Hunk’s gun transformed back into his bayard and his mouth split into a beaming grin. Lance raised his hand for a high five as he crossed the distance between them.

“I’ve got the intel. Let’s get the heck out of here,” Hunk said, clapping his hand against Lance’s.

Lance nodded in agreement, but felt an uncomfortable twinge in his chest. Hunk had gotten the intel, and then had to come back to rescue Lance. But Lance—  all he had done was get himself backed into a corner, and he couldn’t even get his bayard to respond to him.

What if he was only holding them back?

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hunk asked. “You’re making the face.”

Lance shook his head and forced a weak smile. “Nothing’s wrong. Let’s just get out of here.”

Hunk frowned, looking unconvinced, raising his eyebrows in a look that meant Lance was definitely not off the hook. But he remained silent as Lance made for the door.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up. You took a hit,” Hunk said, pulling him back. Lance felt the weight on his back shift as Hunk pried at his jetpack. “Damn, it’s a good thing you were wearing this. It blocked the blast. It’s in pretty bad shape, though.”

Lance turned around and took a few steps back, then pressed his hand against the remote control on his wrist experimentally. Nothing happened.

“Ah, man,” Hunk muttered, his brows furrowing. He caught sight of Lance’s expression and quickly forced a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Maybe I can—” He cut himself off at the sound of distant footsteps from the hallway, and exchanged a look with Lance. They darted out of the room, ignoring the voice that called after them, and sprinted back to the roof.

Lance wrenched open the maintenance door and was greeted with the sound of pouring rain as he stepped out onto the rooftop. Droplets splattered against his face and clothes, and his boots squeaked against the sleek metal of the roof.

“Pidge, we’re gonna need a pickup,” Hunk said, pulling the hood of his jacket up against the rain.

Lance looked over his shoulder at the maintenance door, his pace slowing. His gaze drifted down to the palms of his hands, and he held them up, watching the rain soak them.

Truthfully, he had become a bit disenchanted with the idea of soulmates as of late. But he still remembered back when the world was simpler, back when he fell asleep tracing over the blue lines on the palm of his hand, back when his heart would race with excitement as he closed his eyes and tried to imagine what his soulmate would look like, what it would be like to finally meet them. The thought of leaving his soulmate in a place like this didn’t sit well with him.

“Everything okay, man?” Hunk called back to him.

Lance drew in a deep breath, steeling himself as he came to a decision. “You go ahead,” he told Hunk. “There’s something I have to do first.”

“Lance…” Hunk started.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” Lance said with a wink. “And you couldn’t talk me out of it if I tried.”

Hunk didn’t move, his brows furrowing together in worry.

Lance sighed, his expression sobering. “I have to do this, Hunk.”

“But… your jetpack… are you sure you don’t want me to stay behind?”

“I told you, I have a plan. And this is something I have to do alone. Just trust me on this, okay?”

Hunk held his gaze for a moment, then relented, his shoulders slumping in resignation. “Fine. Just… be careful.”

Lance dipped his head. He followed Hunk to the edge of the rooftop, giving him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Hunk gave him one last “good luck” under his breath before he leapt off the rooftop.

Once Hunk and the intel were safely out of reach of the Galra, Lance turned back, facing the door at the base of the spire. He didn’t have to wait long before it swung open, and the Galra guard stepped out, followed by a legion of robotic sentries. The guard’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Lance, and he immediately stiffened. The sentries fanned out behind him, raising their blasters.

“Where’s your accomplice?” the guard demanded, taking a step forward and unsheathing his sword.

“Beyond your reach.”

“I doubt that. Nothing is beyond our reach. You won’t get away with this.”

The corner of Lance’s mouth twitched into a lopsided grin, and he laced his hands together behind his neck. “I already have.”

The guard eyed him suspiciously, his mouth pulling into a deeper frown. “So, what, you decided to risk your life and stay behind just to taunt me?”

“Not exactly, but it’s definitely a perk.”

“Why, then?”

Lance shrugged. “I need to talk to you.”

The guard’s eyes narrowed, his expression becoming closed off. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Nothing to discuss?” Lance repeated, his hands dropping to his sides in disbelief. “We’re  _ soulmates.” _

“And what makes you think I give a damn about any of that?”

“Call it a hunch.” Lance took a step forward. The guard backed up, raising his sword higher. “Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here,” Lance started, running a hand through his hair and putting on his most charming smile. “The name’s Lance,” he said with a wink. “Are you an alien? Because your body is out of this world.”

A moment passed. And another. The guard stared at Lance blankly, and Lance’s smile wavered.

“What the hell?” the guard said finally.

Lance’s smile morphed into a scowl. Alright, he’d been skeptical before, but this sealed the deal. There was no  _ way _ this was his soulmate. That was Lance’s best line, and the guy wasn’t even fazed.

_ “That’s _ what you needed to tell me?” the guard asked incredulously. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t arrest you right now.”

“Because I’m not the bad guy here,” Lance said, reaching for the pocket of his jacket. “And I can prove it.”

“Don’t,” the guard warned.

Lance ignored him, pulling out a silver medallion with a glowing red line across its diameter. He offered it up in the palm of his hand.

The guard hesitated, his dark eyes darting from Lance’s face to the medallion and back again. “How is that supposed to prove anything?”

“I can’t tell you that. You have to find out for yourself.”

A moment passed. The guard didn’t move.

Lance drew in a deep breath and released it with a huff, his shoulders slumping in the motion. “You asked me why I stayed behind. I stayed behind because I’m risking everything for you. And now I need you to trust me.”

The guard studied Lance’s face for a moment. Then he slowly stepped forward, lowering his sword and taking the medallion from Lance. He turned it over in his hand, confusion tightening his brow.

Lance backed up, lining his heels up with the very edge of the roof. “Meet me in Altea when you wake up.”

The guard’s gaze snapped back to him, his face contorting in confusion. “What are you—”

Lance raised two fingers to his forehead in salute, then let himself fall backwards.

—

A startled yell was ripped from Keith’s lips as he rushed to the edge of the rooftop. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, his heart pounding against his chest as he peered over the side.

But there was nothing there.

Keith blinked, and blinked again, but even under the pouring rain it was clear that there was nothing but an empty expanse of space beneath him. It was as though the intruder had simply vanished into thin air.

Keith pushed himself up, his gaze drifting back to the strange medallion in his hand, its chain spilling over between his fingers like small silver waterfalls.

“Kogane!” a gruff voice snarled. Keith turned on his heel, stuffing the medallion into the pocket of his suit. Sendak charged towards him, roughly shoving the sentries in his path aside, his face pulled into a furious scowl. “What happened?” he demanded.

“I don’t know,” Keith said. “I had him cornered, and then… it was like he just vanished.”

Sendak’s good eye narrowed into a slit. “People don’t simply vanish,” he said, a dangerous edge to his voice.

“It’s just what I saw.” Keith shrugged, meeting Sendak’s gaze evenly.

“Well, isn’t that convenient,” Sendak said, his voice dripping with ice. “This is the second time today you let him slip away. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you let him escape.”

Keith clenched and unclenched his jaw, biting back the retort on the tip of his tongue. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” Sendak growled, “for your sake.” He turned away without another word, and the sentries trailed after him.

Keith’s hand twitched in his pocket, his fingers curling around the corners of the medallion. He turned back to the edge of the roof as the maintenance door slammed shut, barely noticing as the rain soaked through his hair and clothes.

_ Who _ are  _ you? _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to hmu on twitter (genericdancer) or on tumblr (genericpaladin)!


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